RENAULT AIMS TO CAPTURE ON STYLING

Renault Captur, drawn by master car stylish Laurens van den Acker, has quirky, interesting lines that are sure to capture the imagination of those looking for something out of the ordinary in practical transport. That’s right, ‘practical transport’; unlike many cars with fascinating lines, the Renault Captur isn’t going to drive you mad after the initial excitement of owning something different wears off and you’re stuck with the reality of poor interior space that’s hard to get in and out of. Captur is joining the sales fray of the rapidly… Read more

SPECIAL EDITION RENAULT CLIO RS MONACO GP

With Renault Clio sales up more than 500 per cent year-on-year one gets the feeling 2014 will go down as Renault’s breakout year in Australia. No doubt the biggest influence on Clio sales was the dramatic remake: three doors to five, 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol to 1.6 turbo-petrol and manual-only transmission to six-speed, dual-clutch auto. Now, like big-brother Megane, Clio is getting a boost along with the inclusion of a new limited edition sports model, the Clio RS Monaco GP. The Clio RS Monaco GP was launched alongside the Megane… Read more

RENAULT’S SPORTS HERO

Daniel Ricciardo is the new pin-up boy of Australian motorsport, so Renault Australia is seeking to capitalise on his success by introducing a new limited edition hot hatch, the Megane RS Trophy. After two days steering an RS Trophy around some of Tasmania’s finest roads, including many Targa Tasmania stages, there’s no doubt Renault has a product that is worth capitalising on. Megane RS Trophy can hold its head high among some fierce opposition, including Subaru WRX STi, Volkswagen Golf R and VW Scirocco R. Renault Megane RS Trophy hits… Read more

RENAULT TWIZY PUTS NEW TWIST ON CITY TRAVEL

Renault Twizy is a tiny two-seat car powered by electricity that doesn’t take up much road space. Indeed Twizy’s footprint isn’t much bigger than that of a large motorbike and you can park two, sometimes three, into at typical parking space in a high-rise building or shopping centre. As a real bonus, no matter how claustrophobic these carparks are Twizy don’t add exhaust fumes to the air you’re breathing. Twizy can turn around in not much more than its own length – on a recent trip to Paris I saw… Read more

RENAULT SUNLINER IS A LUXURIOUS MOBILE APARTMENT

Renault’s continued drive to become a mainstream player in Australia is proceeding at pace. The French marque’s car range has everything from low cost small hatchback, to family station wagons, with a delicious sprinkling of high-performance models from the RenaultSport division. Then there are the Renault light commercials. Small vans to large ones and most recently the introduction of a Renault Master cab-chassis with rear-wheel drive that we previewed late last year. Cab-chassis are imported only for one reason – to let Australian designers and engineers come up with a… Read more

RENAULT KANGOO CAN DO IN AUSTRALIA

Renault Kangoo is a small-to-medium van that has been the best-selling vehicle in its class in Europe for many years. These days Australians tend to prefer larger vans, though we have bought smaller units in the past. Renault Australia is keen to change this situation so has recently expanded the Kangoo van range with the introduction of a four-door crew-cab called Kangoo Maxi Crew. Obviously the Kangoo Crew doesn’t have to be a working van with extra seats for the crew; it can also be used as a well-priced people… Read more

RENAULT CLIO GT: WELL PRICED AND GREAT FUN

Renault Clio GT sits below the hot-hatch Clio RS in price and performance, but is no slow coach. It’s an important component in the ever increasing range of high-performance machines from the French giant that has a long history in motorsport. With a starting price of just $25,290 (plus on-roads) the Clio GT significantly undercuts the Clio RS hot-hatch which starts at $29,290. A further cost saver is Renault’s capped price servicing of $299 per calendar year for the first three years. STYLING These days more and more hot-hatch buyers… Read more

RENAULT CLIO GT – WARMER GOOD HATCH OR COOLER HOT HATCH?

Renault’s Clio keeps breeding. Initially launching with either a manual-only three cylinder base model or a range of six-speed EDC 1.2-litre turbos, the range has since expanded twice. Late last year was the excellent Clio RenaultSport 200 and now, in what must be the final shot, comes the Renault Clio GT. The GT is meant to be a halfway house between the standard 1.2 Clio’s ride and handling package and the harder-core RS. It also has a more generous spec level than the other four cylinder offerings and with the… Read more

RENAULT KANGOO JUMPS HIGHER

Latest option on Australian Renault Kangoo range is a four-door, five-seat variant.

Though Renault is becoming increasingly well known in Australia as the marque that provides excellent hot hatches in the RS (RenaultSport) range, it’s also keen to expand its light-commercial Kangoo range. Renault Kangoo – love the name, and the fact that arch-rival Peugeot produces a competitor for the Kangoo that’s called the Jumper – is now offered in an increasing number of body types and options. The biggest news is the addition of a four-door crew-cab version called the Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew. The Crew’s rear passenger doors are van-type… Read more

RENAULT ESPACE

1984 Renault Espace

The Espace was the only purpose-built European multi-purpose vehicle popularly called a people mover. It had a short bonnet angled the same as the windscreen so that both bonnet and windscreen formed a straight line down to the grille. The front wheels were driven by the same 1995cc in-line engine as used in Renault 21 and 25 saloons. It had the best performance of all the people-carriers with a top speed of 160 km/h and good handling but with a certain amount of roll. The Renault Espace used a longitudinal… Read more